Capitalism, Friend of the Earth

By

Gregg Easterbrook

Updated Feb. 8, 2000 12:01 a.m. ET

A re SUVs, superhighways, skyscrapers and fossil fuels actually good for the environment, while a modest lifestyle would be bad? Could a materialistic, growth-oriented economy actually do a better job of preserving nature than a society run on the principles of environmentalism? That is the thesis of "Hard Green," (Basic, 224 pages, $25) a new book by Peter Huber, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

Mr. Huber structures his work as a tournament of ideas pitting "Soft Greens" against "Hard...